Konrad Adenauer facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Konrad Adenauer
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Chancellor of Germany | |
| In office 15 September 1949 – 16 October 1963 |
|
| President | Theodor Heuss Heinrich Lübke |
| Deputy | Franz Blücher Ludwig Erhard |
| Preceded by | Lutz von Krosigk (Leading Minister) |
| Succeeded by | Ludwig Erhard |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 5 January 1876 Cologne, German Empire |
| Died | 19 April 1967 (aged 91) Bad Honnef, West Germany |
| Political party | Centre Party (1906-1933) Christian Democratic Union (1945-1967) |
| Spouses | Emma Weyer (1904-1916) Auguste Zinsser (1919-1948) |
| Children | 8 |
| Alma mater | University of Freiburg University of Munich University of Bonn |
| Signature |  |
Konrad Adenauer (born January 5, 1876 – died April 19, 1967) was a very important German leader. He was the first Chancellor of West Germany from 1949 to 1963. The Chancellor is like the head of the government.
He helped start the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party. Under his leadership, the CDU became one of the most powerful political parties in Germany. He worked closely with the United States.
After World War II, Germany was in ruins. Adenauer helped his country recover and become a strong, successful nation again. He made sure West Germany became friends with countries like France, the United Kingdom, and the United States. During his time as Chancellor, West Germany became a stable democracy with a good economy. He also served as foreign secretary from 1951 to 1955. He made sure West Germany joined the Western countries during the Cold War and helped it join NATO, a military alliance. He was elected Chancellor three times.
Before becoming Chancellor, Adenauer was a leading politician in the Weimar Republic. He was the Mayor of Cologne from 1917 to 1933. He was also president of the Prussian State Council.
Adenauer was a member of the Catholic Zentrum Party. When the Nazi Party took power, he lost his job. He was later forced to hide for his safety after a failed attempt to kill Adolf Hitler.
After World War II, he was a top politician in the group that wrote West Germany's new constitution. He also founded the CDU. He played a key role in making Bonn the capital of West Germany.
Adenauer was Chancellor until he was 87 years old. People called him "Der Alte," which means "the elder." He is known as one of the oldest leaders to serve in an elected office. He remained a member of the German parliament (Bundestag) until he died at 91.
| Top - 0-9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z |
Early Life and School
Konrad Adenauer was born in Cologne, Germany, on January 5, 1876. He was the third of five children. Growing up, he learned about a time when the German government tried to control the Catholic Church. This made him dislike "Prussianism," which was a strong, military-focused way of thinking. Like many Catholics from his region, he did not like that their area was part of Prussia.
In 1894, he finished high school. He then studied law and politics at the universities of Freiburg, Munich, and Bonn. When he was 20, he was supposed to join the German army. However, he couldn't pass the physical exam because he had breathing problems.
He was part of several Catholic student groups in Bonn. He finished his studies in 1900. After that, he worked as a lawyer in Cologne.
Death and His Impact
Konrad Adenauer died on April 19, 1967, at his home in Rhöndorf. His daughter said his last words were, "There's nothing to weep about!"
Many world leaders attended his state funeral in Cologne Cathedral. These included U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson and French President Charles de Gaulle.
After the funeral service, his body was taken up the Rhine river on a boat. Thousands of people stood silently on the riverbanks to say goodbye.
He is buried in the Forest Cemetery in Rhöndorf.
In 1967, after he died, Germans were asked what they admired most about him. Many said he brought home the last German prisoners of war from the Soviet Union. This event was known as the "Return of the 10,000."
In 2003, Adenauer was voted the 'greatest German of all time' in a TV show. Over three million people voted in this contest.
Adenauer is also honored on a special gold coin from Belgium. This coin celebrates three important people who helped create the European Union. These "founding fathers" are Robert Schuman, Paul-Henri Spaak, and Konrad Adenauer.
Images for kids
-
Adenauer in 1896.
-
In Wilhelmshaven in 1928, when a new cruiser was given the name of Köln (Cologne), home city of Adenauer (centre, with left hand visible, next to him Lieutenant-General Wilhelm Groener and Gustav Noske).
-
Heinrich Hoerle: Zeitgenossen (contemporaries). A 1931 modernist painting with mayor Adenauer (in grey) together with artists and a boxer.
-
Adenauer in 1951, reading in his house in Rhöndorf he had built in 1937. It is now a museum.
-
U.S. president John F. Kennedy visiting Adenauer at the Hammerschmidt Villa.
-
Berlin plaque commemorating restoration of relations between Germany and France, showing Adenauer and Charles de Gaulle.
-
Adenauer delivering a speech at the March 1966 CDU party rally, one year before his death.
-
The monument "Homage to the Founding Fathers of Europe" in front of Robert Schuman's house in Scy-Chazelles by Russian artist Zurab Tsereteli, unveiled 20 October 2012. The statues represent the four founders of the European Communities – Alcide De Gasperi, Robert Schuman, Jean Monnet and Konrad Adenauer.
See also
In Spanish: Konrad Adenauer para niños
